W H AT W O R K S I N

TA L E N T D E V E L O P M E N T

Designing Microlearning

Carla Torgerson and Sue Iannone

More Praise for This Book

“Microlearning is one of the hottest topics in our industry. This book provides the answers needed to determine if microlearning is right for your organization, and a road map for putting it into practice.”

—David Kelly, EVP and Executive Director, The eLearning Guild

“The top challenge for talent development is, quite simply, a lack of time. Designing Microlearning goes beyond the hype, showing you how to create a microlearning plan that actually gets performance results.”

—Kevin Kruse, CEO, LEADx, New York Times Bestselling Author

“Designing Microlearning is the quintessential guide to understanding the way employees learn in the modern world. A must read for any instructional designer!”

—Jeff Joanisse, Creative Director, Th3rd Coast Entertainment & Training

“To help people do their best work, L&D pros have to leverage a blend of tools and tactics that fit their workplace culture. Carla and Sue provide an extensive toolkit that can help bring microlearning to life within your organization.”

—JD Dillon, Chief Learning Architect, Axonify

“The authors have created a thorough yet approachable book that not only shows how to create useful, engaging microlearning, but also provides a framework for eval-uating its value and showing its impact. I would recommend it for any practitioners who are getting started in the microlearning realm.”

—Chad Udell, Managing Partner, Strategy and New Product Development, Float

“If you need to design, develop, or deliver microlearning, this is the book. It contains all the tools, concepts, explanations, and instructions you need to create the right piece of microlearning for the right learning outcome. Stop reading this cover and buy the book already!”

—Karl Kapp, Professor of Instructional Technology, Bloomsburg University, Co-Author, Microlearning: Short and Sweet

“In this must-have resource, Carla Torgerson and Sue Iannone share clear, practical approaches for using modern microlearning. It provides not just theory and design but also advice on planning, media selection, implementation, and evaluation. Designing Microlearning is full of tips from professionals, tools, and job aids you can use right now.”

—Megan Torrance, CEO, TorranceLearning

“Carla and Sue have masterfully answered questions about the why, the how, and the what of microlearning. Written by two individuals who are clearly experts in their field, this book offers readers a road map to designing microlearning content that delivers results.”

—Jack and Patti Phillips, Co-Founders, ROI Institute

“Immediate and matter of fact, Designing Microlearning brims with ideas, examples, and resources learning professionals can leverage to design and develop more meaningful and relevant learning solutions.”

—Brandon Carson, Author, Learning in the Age of Immediacy

“With Designing Microlearning, you’ll get two for the price of one: Two knowledge-able authors sharing their industry expertise and practical experience. It’s a perfect combination of descriptive theory and tangible tools. This new book belongs on every instructional designer’s bookshelf !”

—Cindy Huggett, CPLP, Author, Virtual Training Tools and Templates

© 2020 ASTD DBA the Association for Talent Development (ATD)All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, information storage and retrieval systems, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please go to www.copyright.com, or contact Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923 (telephone: 978.750.8400; fax: 978.646.8600).

ATD Press is an internationally renowned source of insightful and practical information on talent development, training, and professional development.

ATD Press1640 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314 USA

Ordering information: Books published by ATD Press can be purchased by visiting ATD’s website at td.org/books or by calling 800.628.2783 or 703.683.8100.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019956103

ISBN-10: 1-950496-12-0ISBN-13: 978-1-950496-12-9e-ISBN: 978-1-950496-13-6

ATD Press Editorial StaffDirector: Sarah HalgasManager: Melissa JonesCommunity Manager, Learning & Development: Eliza BlanchardDevelopmental Editor: Jack HarlowText Design: Shirley E.M. RaybuckCover Design: Shirley E.M. Raybuck

MILE model graphics, 4 Uses of Microlearning graphics, and 5 Formats of Microlearning graphics designed by Jennifer Hoeke.

Printed by P.A. Hutchinson Company, Mayfield, PA

iii

Contents

About the Series vIntroduction 1

1 Getting Started: What Is Microlearning and Where Does It Fit? 7

2 Shaping the Future: Why Choose Microlearning? 57

3 Designing Your Microlearning Program: How Do You Start? 85

4 Implementing the Plan: How Do You Execute an Effective Microlearning Resource or Program? 119

5 Transferring Learning and Evaluating Results: How Do You Demonstrate Success? 151

6 Planning Next Steps: Where Do You Go From Here? 193

Acknowledgments 219About the Authors 225Index 229

v

About the Series

ATD’s What Works in Talent Development series addresses the most critical topics facing today’s talent development practitioners. Each book in the series is written for trainers, by trainers, and offers a clear pathway to solving real issues. Interwoven with the latest findings in technology and best practices, this series is designed to enhance your current efforts on core subject matter, while offering a practical guide for you to follow. Authored by seasoned experts, each book is jam-packed with easy-to-apply content—including job aids, checklists, and other reference materials—to make the learning transfer process simple.

The What Works in Talent Development series is a unique core collection designed for talent development practitioners at every career level. To date, the books in the series include:

• Starting a Talent Development Program• Blended Learning• Effective Onboarding• Designing Microlearning.

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Introduction

Are you busy? Crunched for time? Sometimes even overwhelmed? Of course—we all are! In the modern workplace, there is no shortage of things to do. The employees we train are no different. They have a lot to do at work, and it can be hard to find time for training. This is natural; except in rare cases, employees’ operational tasks are their number 1 priority. That’s what they were hired to do, and that’s what keeps the organization going. Training will always be priority number 2 or lower. This is why microlearning is so powerful. It allows learning professionals to provide small amounts of training quickly so employees can get back to their operational duties—or even learn while doing those duties.

Have you been feeling pressure to offer training that is shorter, and you want to get started? Have you already created some microlearning and want to learn more? Maybe you find all the buzz about microlearning confusing, and are just looking for a clear definition with some tools and resources to help?

Whatever your situation, you’ve come to the right place. This book is a great place to begin or enhance your microlearning journey! We will answer many of your questions, providing case studies, tools, tips, and practical resources to help you along the way. We also share some of the successes and challenges we have encountered on our microlearn-ing journey so you can be fully prepared as you introduce microlearning resources and programs to your learners and your organization.

Why Is Microlearning Important?Today’s learners move fast! They carry multiple devices, process information superficially, and are easily distracted. But most important, they have limited time for learning on the job; in fact, employees spend less than 1 percent of a typical workweek on training

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Introduction

and development (Bersin by Deloitte 2014). The evolution of the modern learner means learning professionals need to take these factors into consideration when designing any learning resource.

How does microlearning help the modern learner? Think about a time when you were working on something critical and you got stuck—you realized you didn’t know how to complete the task. Chances are you tried to quickly find the answer so you could finish the task and move on with your day. In that moment of need, microlearning can be a great solution! By providing learners with a small, targeted piece of learning, you help them quickly and effectively accomplish a job task so they can get back to work. This rapid desire for learning and answers sets the stage nicely for microlearning.

But microlearning is more than just-in-time training. Consider annual compliance training. Employees find it challenging to complete their compliance training because it’s so hard to make time for it. Microlearning can certainly help by offering the training in shorter bursts that can be fit within the employee’s busy day.

These are just two examples, and throughout this book we’ll offer more. Micro-learning can be used in many ways to train employees quickly and efficiently. That is why microlearning is so exciting—as thoughtful learning and development professionals, we want to use our employees’ time wisely to meet their needs within the confines of their busy day, and microlearning offers a variety of possibilities to do that well.

Chapter-by-Chapter OverviewEach of the books in the What Works in Talent Development series follows a similar framework. The chapters in this book discuss what microlearning is, how to design it, how to implement it, how to evaluate the outcomes, and what you can do to prepare for the future of learning in your organization. Like other books in this series, each chapter ends with a list of thought-provoking questions, which serve to summarize the chapter’s content and guide topics of discussion that you and your organization should consider as you begin your journey with microlearning. You will also find job aids, templates, and checklists to support your efforts. Additional resources are provided throughout the book so you can continue to address your specific needs.

Chapter 1. Getting Started: What Is Microlearning and Where Does It Fit?Chapter 1 introduces microlearning by discussing what microlearning is, and what it is not. This chapter explores the lively debate around the definition and parameters of

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Introduction

microlearning. It also addresses key things to consider before you design microlearning resources or programs, such as understanding the background of your learners and the business need of your organization. In this chapter we also share how to create a vision for microlearning and include how to approach and engage your stakeholders to increase your likelihood of success. Chapter 1 helps you ready yourself before diving in by offering questions to assess the current situation, considerations before getting started, and what to do early and often throughout the journey.

Chapter 2. Shaping the Future: Why Choose Microlearning?Chapter 2 arms you with the benefits of microlearning so you can get others in your organization bought in to this approach. It’s important to understand the research and thinking behind the value of microlearning so you aren’t just chasing another fad. Micro-learning works, and it’s important to understand not only why it works, but also why your learners and your organization are asking for it. Also in this chapter is a look at some of the key barriers that prevent organizations from going micro so you can overcome these barriers yourself.

Chapter 3. Designing Your Microlearning Program: How Do You Start?Chapter 3 helps you think strategically about microlearning in your organization. Where can it have the biggest impact within your learning ecosystem and how can you make that happen? This chapter discusses four key ways that microlearning can be used in organi-zations, and helps you consider when each will be most valuable to your learners. This is critical because microlearning used in the wrong way or at the wrong time will not have the value you seek, even if it is well designed.

Chapter 4. Implementing the Plan: How Do You Execute an Effective Microlearning Resource or Program?You’ve determined why microlearning makes sense and how to use it in your organization, and now it’s time to get down to business. Chapter 4 gets tactical, helping you design and develop each microlearning resource. It introduces MILE, the MIcroLEarning Design Model, which takes you through all the details of creating your microlearning resources. You will consider your performance objective for each resource and how you will design the optimal solution. You will also consider the technology required to distribute your microlearning and how to engage people to use your resources. This is critical because

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Introduction

if your learners don’t know your resources exist, or they don’t remember them at their moment of need, they won’t use them.

Chapter 5. Transferring Learning and Evaluating Results: How Do You Demonstrate Success?In chapter 5, you will learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of both a single microlearn-ing resource and a larger microlearning program. You’ll consider what your organization really cares about, and how to speak to that with both quantitative and qualitative data. Equally important is how you collect those data, and how to do it in a way that uses your time wisely. While all learning professionals would love to have a data analyst on their team, few have that luxury, so understanding what data you are collecting and what information you can glean from them is critical. This chapter also looks at topics for eval-uating an entire microlearning program, such as Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluation, Brinkerhoff ’s Success Case Method, and Phillips’ ROI Methodology. Most important, this chapter considers ways you can measure different kinds of microlearning efforts, so the data you obtain have meaning to you and your organization.

Chapter 6. Planning Next Steps: Where Do You Go From Here?Chapter 6 provides you with a springboard to the next step in your microlearning jour-ney. It helps you reflect on the current state of microlearning in your organization, and how to capitalize on past successes or manage through programs that weren’t as success-ful as originally intended. This chapter gives you practical advice to gain momentum for using microlearning in your organization, and what to do if your microlearning efforts don’t seem to be working. It also has a forward focus, considering where microlearning could go in the future.

How to Get the Most Out of This BookDesigning Microlearning gets you started on the journey to designing, developing, and imple-menting different types of microlearning for your learners. It is meant to be a guide and overview for the topic, with tools and resources to help you implement short-form learning in your organization. However, to be most successful, you’ll need to consider the nuances of your own organization—your learners, your operational processes, and your organizational culture—as you decide how to implement microlearning most successfully for your organization.

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Introduction

As you read the book, you may notice the ebb and flow of approach from instruc-tional design practitioner to performance consultant. This is intentional and is essential to the ultimate success of any microlearning content you create. The advice and direction outlined in this book are a reflection of the two authors’ expertise and experiences with microlearning (and other learning approaches!) as they have been used with a range of organizations and learners across industries. Pay attention to both the performance need and the tactical implementation. An outstanding piece of microlearning that doesn’t meet the performance need is no better than a poorly designed piece of microlearning that tackles the exact need of the learner.

There are a lot of tools and resources in this book. Don’t feel obligated to use them all—choose the ones that will help you the most for the areas where you need support. Talk to others who are using microlearning well and learn from their approaches. But most of all, just try it. Start small, try something, and iterate along the way. Your learners and your organization will appreciate your efforts.

Why a Book About Microlearning?You might be thinking how ironic it seems to write a whole book about microlearning when microlearning itself is short. Learning how to design and implement microlearn-ing requires specific knowledge and skills that, frankly, can’t be explained to the point of mastery in a three-minute learning experience. We provide that depth and richness in this book.

Icons Used in This BookIcon What It Means

Tips from professionals will make your job easier and give you ideas to help apply the techniques and approaches discussed.

Tools identify templates, checklists, worksheets, models, outlines, examples, illustrations, and other prototypes that can be a useful place to start.

Resources are the books, blogs, articles, or even people that you can access to add to the information you’ve gained already and take your learning deeper.

Case Studies provide real-world examples of ideas being applied by practitioners like you.

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Introduction

ReferencesBersin by Deloitte. 2014. “Meet The Modern Learner.” Infographic.

Bull City Learning. 2012. “6 Strategies for Engaging the Modern Learner.” Webinar. vimeo.com/140815130.

Torgerson, C. 2016. The Microlearning Guide to Microlearning. Torgerson Consulting.

1Getting Started: What Is Microlearning and Where Does It Fit?

In This Chapter

• Microlearning defined

• Assessing the current situation

• How to engage stakeholders

• How to build a plan for microlearning

• Other considerations when getting started

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Chapter 1

Microlearning is a huge buzzword in the learning and development field. It seems everyone is doing it—or wants to be doing it. But what is “it,” and how do you use it in a way that makes a difference for your learners and

for your organization?To date, microlearning has been poorly defined, creating hype but no follow-through.

Without common definitions, learning professionals cannot compare best practices and techniques. And without a clear understanding of what “good” looks like or what works, you can’t really evaluate microlearning examples. So let’s start with a definition.

Microlearning DefinedWhat is microlearning? In many ways, microlearning is just a mash-up of many things learning professionals have already been creating and providing: just-in-time learning, performance support, post-training refreshers, and much else. The common thread for these pieces of learning is that they can be consumed quickly.

So, microlearning can be any learning content that stands alone or supports other learning activities, such as instructor-led classes, e-learning modules, and simulations. Microlearning can be used in four key ways, and we’ll address all of them throughout this book (Figure 1-1):

• preparation before a learning event• follow-up to support a learning event• stand-alone training• performance support.

Figure 1-1. Four Ways to Use Microlearning

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Getting Started

That pretty much covers any time someone could be learning. So, if microlearning can be any kind of learning and the common thread is its length, then the next natural question is, “How long is a piece of microlearning?” Commonly people say that micro-learning is any learning content that can be consumed in about five minutes or less. In our work on countless projects we’ve found that it’s more nuanced; it really depends on how you’ll use the microlearning:

• Preparation before a learning event: This depends on the length of the long-form learning event and difficulty of the content, but for a full-day class, five to 10 minutes per resource works well.

• Follow-up to support a learning event: If you are sending a boost email, then about one minute is best. If you are extending knowledge in a new way, then up to five minutes per resource is ideal.

• Stand-alone training: If learners are not required to complete the resource (informal learning), then four or five minutes should be your maximum. But if they are required to complete it (formal learning), then you can go up to eight minutes or so.

• Performance support: If learners will use the resource while doing the job, then you should aim for something that can be used extremely quickly, potentially at a glance, and ideally 30 seconds or less. But for more complex tasks where they may be stopping their work for a few minutes to consume some learning, then up to five minutes works well.

Think about how and when your learners will use the microlearning content. What would make most sense for them? With informal learning (learning that is not required), people will tend to gravitate to things they can consume in about four minutes or less, so shorter is definitely better (Bersin 2017). Further, our experience with formal learning is that it may need to be five to eight minutes to really teach a concept effectively.

The real definition is that microlearning is short-form content that is just long enough to give learners what they need at that moment and get on with their work. But it’s always helpful to be specific, so we’ll define microlearning as any learning content that can be consumed in less than 10 minutes. This includes:

• three to five pages of structured, well-spaced text• a five- to eight-minute e-learning module• a four minute video• a one-page infographic• a five-minute podcast.

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Chapter 1

The Microlearning Definition Debate: To Include, or Not Include, a Seat Time?

Who would have thought the definition of a concept like microlearning would spark such a debate? While in this book we chose to include five to 10 minutes as a guideline, many learning experts disagree with including any seat time when defining microlearning. Why? The need should dictate the length, so “just long enough” allows for a range in length to accommodate the specific need without putting a stake in the ground on a seat time.

While this is true (and we wholeheartedly agree), it makes it difficult to coach and inform others without a concrete definition including an approximate seat time. Imagine a learning professional who commonly creates one-hour e-learning modules. From their perspective, microlearning could reasonably be 20 minutes, because it is shorter compared with what they were previously creating.

Therefore, five to 10 minutes is not a hard and fast rule, and is certainly more of a guideline. We have created all kinds of microlearning in various formats that have been as short as one minute and as long as 10 minutes. The common theme is that these were “just enough” for what the learners needed.

Short Is Not Always UsefulHave you ever watched a five-minute (or less) video on YouTube or LinkedIn and, as you watched it, thought to yourself, “This is a waste of my time,” and either stopped watching it or continued only because it was required?

We’ve posed this question to hundreds of learning professionals across the coun-try, and the answer is always the same: a resounding yes. It’s because we’ve all been there, consuming some short piece of content that we thought would be useful or maybe just funny, and we stopped because it didn’t use our time well.

As human beings we are always self-assessing, and as busy people we are always asking ourselves if our time is being used well. There is no shortage of things to do, and we are constantly evaluating and prioritizing how to use one of our most valuable resources: time.

Any piece of learning content that is just five minutes long but not useful to your learn-ers is a waste of five minutes. (Thanks to Diane Elkins, owner of Artisan E-Learning, who has been saying this for years!) This may mean trimming a piece of learning content to three minutes to give learners just what they need. Or it may mean expanding the

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Getting Started

content to eight minutes to provide the depth and clarity that learners need to properly grasp it. So again, any recommendation about length is a guideline; microlearning is any content that aids in learning or supporting performance that is short in length that meets the needs of the learner.

Now, let’s consider each of the different microlearning content types in detail. There are five common formats for microlearning:

• text-based resources• e-learning modules• videos• infographics• podcasts.

Text-Based ResourcesText-based resources take many forms. They include job aids and performance support, but also things many people think of as simple communications, such as newsletters, blogs, emails, and more. Sometimes when we go micro, we only want to share a para-graph or two of new information or a single page of text with images, so a basic text-based resource could do the trick. It could live on your learning management system (LMS); be less formal, like content on your social collaborative system; or something you send out by email.

TOOLS TALKGenerally, text-based resources will be created using tools like:

» a word processor such as Microsoft Word » social collaborative system like Jive or Yammer » your LMS, if it has content creation tools » desktop publishing software like Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Publisher.

Text-based resources are simple, which gives them power. You should use them when you need to get something out fast. As we work to meet needs at the speed of the business, sometimes that means the training has to get out now, even though you may have only had a few days or a week to wrap your arms around the content. The ease of updating

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Chapter 1

them also serves well if the content is constantly changing. To be clear, it still takes care-ful instructional thinking to make a good text-based resource, but you can produce and update them much faster than the other formats.

Text-based resources are also important for things where learners need to self-pace—that is, they may need time to linger over any part of the content, and different learners could need different amounts of time to consume the content. This commonly happens when learning a process with multiple steps: Some people will find certain steps easy and others won’t. For example, imagine you are fixing your leaky faucet and get stuck mid-way; you have tools on the counter and maybe even some water spraying into the sink. You will want a good text-based resource with photos. A short video will work too, but the power of the text-based resource is that you can skim the text and find just what you need. And if you are like us, when you find the right bit of content, you’ll want to read it several times to make sure you understand it, while other people with more plumbing experience will read it once and move on.

Text-based resources can also be excellent when there are lots of technical details to learn. Again, self-pacing is the primary issue here. If someone has more experience, they’ll be able to consume that detail quickly, but others will need more time to think, ponder, and reread.

CASE STUDY: MEET JOHNJohn creates training at a high-tech software development firm in Silicon Valley. His training materials teach customers how to use the company’s software, which is complex and always being updated with new releases every quarter. The customer training serves as part of the organization’s sales and marketing strategy because they know that if people find the software easy to use, they will continue to use the product and recommend it to others.

The software development team works on software changes for the entire quarter, doing final bug fixes just before the scheduled release. John attends developer meetings so he knows what the features will be, but it’s not until the last minute that he will know exactly how they function or how the screens will look.

John’s team had been building e-learning modules with screen-capture videos to demo the new software features and explain them to clients. But this was always done in the final days before the software release because they couldn’t record any screen before it was final, caus-ing undue stress for his team and lots of errors in the content.

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Getting Started

E-LearningE-learning modules are pervasive in the training field. Unfortunately, much of this e-learning is of the “page turner” variety, with the learner reading a page of content and then clicking a “next” button to reveal another page of content, and continuing in this way until reaching the end of the module. We prefer to create e-learning that is more engaging and interactive, capitalizing on e-learning to ask questions and reveal unique feedback based on the learner’s different choices.

For longer-form e-learning, many say that interaction is critical for an effective mod-ule. But this is not always true for microlearning—sometimes the best solution will be highly interactive and sometimes it will not.

As seasoned instructional designers who have spent our careers trying to make learn-ing engaging and interactive, this feels odd, as if the instructional design gods should strike us with lightning right now! We are not saying that instructional designers shouldn’t try to create interactive learning materials when they go micro. But we are saying to con-sider the modern learner and what they would find helpful at that moment when they are using the learning resource. The reason to include interactions is to make the learning active—especially because the mind can wander quickly if it’s not engaged, and those interactions provide practice, feedback, and the ability to learn from mistakes. How-ever, if the e-learning is only three minutes long and the learner will apply the content quickly, you may not need interactions. You may even frustrate the learner by including interactions that effectively act as a speed bump, slowing the learner down from getting the information they need and moving on to using it in their work. This is especially true when the learner has some familiarity with the content or is likely to grasp it quickly.

Microlearning is often used just-in-time and as you get closer to the moment of performance—the time when the learner is actually going to use that knowledge or skill to influence their workplace behavior—your instruction can often be shorter and less interactive. Why? It’s not that people don’t need practice to cement new skills; it’s that

His solution? Use a short text-based resource that explains the new features with text and screen-capture images. This can be created quickly and released with the software, using less effort than for an e-learning module. Then his team creates the e-learning modules in the two weeks after the software is released. He has better access to the developers who are his subject matter experts (SMEs), the time to make sure the modules are clear, and time for review by those SMEs who previously didn’t have time for him, ensuring the training modules are accurate.

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Chapter 1

the learner may be highly motivated to seek the answers they need, and the workplace provides that opportunity for practice. For example, let’s say you’re having trouble creat-ing a pivot table in Excel for a report that is due at the end of the day. You do not need an interactive module to enable you to practice in a simulated environment; instead, you can refer to a text-based resource or a video-based e-learning course to get the informa-tion you need and then go to your real project in Excel to apply that knowledge. When learning is contextual to your real work it is most powerful. This is why we simulate these environments in interactive e-learning modules, but it’s also why practice in the real envi-ronment is so effective too.

So why use less interactive e-learning if a text-based resource could work instead? E-learning enables you to control the order in which the learner is consuming the content, and also allows you to chunk the content into small pieces to express relation-ships or build content in a hierarchical fashion. These can be especially valuable when designing for learners who are unfamiliar with the content. E-learning also allows you to emphasize emotion (with video or audio), which makes it a more expressive medium than text alone.

Of course, if you can find effective ways to make the content interactive, e-learning will be your best option. Can you use scenarios that require the learner to apply the con-tent, or get the learner to practice the new skill? Or perhaps you can use those scenarios to provide different feedback that addresses common mistakes. If so, the interactive fea-tures of an e-learning module will be critical.

Another reason to use an e-learning module is if you need to track whether the learner completed the learning program. Many LMSs allow you to post other for-mats, such as a PDF, a video, or even an infographic, but the e-learning format is the only one where you can track if the learner accessed every page. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean they read every page, but most organizations like this format as a way of tracking completion on topics where training is required by regulating authorities.

TOOLS TALKGenerally, e-learning resources will be created using tools like:

» Storyline » Captivate » Camtasia

» Lectora » PowerPoint

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Getting Started

PRO TIPA lot of people use e-learning because they can quiz the learner at the end of the module and store the learner’s score on the LMS. We generally avoid quizzing at the end of a piece of microlearning though. It is so short that the questions are likely to be meaningless and the learner will think you’ve wasted their time. The learner will only tolerate a quiz at the end of a piece of microlearning if it’s obvious to them that the organization must track a score (usually for compliance purposes), or in those far fewer cases in which they see how the quiz helps them learn the material better.

CASE STUDY: MEET TANISHATanisha creates training for sales reps at a pharmaceutical company. Her reps know their prod-uct extremely well, and they have mastered their company’s sales process.

However, the reps struggle to understand common American health insurance terms such as co-pay, co-insurance, health savings account, flexible spending account, Medicare, Medicaid, and others. Tanisha has a great way of explaining these, using scenarios and stories. Much of the content builds on itself, though; for example, it’s hard to explain what a health savings account is unless you’ve explained what a high deductible health plan is first.

Being in a highly regulated industry, her organization also insists on knowing if the reps have completed the training—not just knowing that the learner opened and looked at the file, but if they actually read each page of the content.

Her solution? Develop a short-form e-learning module (about five minutes) to explain these common terms. She tells the story of Mary, a 70-year-old widow on Medicare, and her three adult children, and how each of them has a different kind of insurance (Medicaid, commercial insurance, and a high deductible health plan from the health exchange). By sharing the story of each of these four people, Tanisha shares the basics of the different insurance options that her sales reps need to know.

She uses an e-learning module because she can combine text and pictures easily. She can also build the module so the learner can choose which insurance product they want to learn about and access them in a nonlinear way. But she also builds it so that when learners experience a story, the content about that character is sequential and builds on previous concepts in that story.

Tanisha is also able to track that learners have accessed the character stories for all four insur-ance types, and by putting this module on her LMS, she can keep records of which reps have completed which parts of the module so her organization has this information for compliance purposes.

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About the Authors

Carla Torgerson, MEd, MBA, has more than 15 years of experi-ence as an instructional designer and instructional strategist both on internal teams and in several consulting firms. She has worked with numerous Fortune 500 clients including Intuit, McDonald’s, Netflix, Facebook, Fidelity, Cargill, Medtronic, Merck, and Best Western. She has designed solutions ranging from $15,000 to more than $2 million.

Carla has presented her thought leadership in the areas of e-learning, mobile learn-ing, and microlearning across the nation at conferences, events, and workshops of leading learning organizations, including ATD and The eLearning Guild. Additionally, Carla developed MILE, the MIcroLEarning Design Model and is the author of The Microlearn-ing Guide to Microlearning.

Carla is a consummate consultant who specializes in designing learning solutions to meet the needs of her clients, their businesses, and their learners. She is able to see training needs from both the perspective of the business and the learner, enabling her to create solutions that balance the needs of both groups and delight her clients. Carla has deep expertise in designing interactive and engaging learning materials, particularly in electronic environments, and using Agile and iterative approaches to achieve quality solutions that improve performance.

Carla is currently a director of instructional design at Bull City Learning, a special-ized e-learning agency that provides digital learning solutions for companies in a wide range of industries, as well as nonprofit organizations. Bull City Learning offers a full suite of solutions including learning needs assessments, curriculum design, content devel-opment, and training deployment support.

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About the Authors

Carla has a master of education (MEd) focused on technology-based education, and a master of business administration (MBA), which helps her see training through a busi-ness lens.

Carla grew up in western Canada where she developed a love for downhill skiing, biking, and camping. She currently lives in North Carolina with her awesome husband, Tom, and their very curious seven-year-old son, John. She loves to travel with her fam-ily, and they have explored the United States from coast to coast.

Connect with Carla on LinkedIn for insights and announcements at linkedin.com /in/carlatorgerson.

Sue Iannone, CPLP, has 25 years of learning-leadership experience in the commercial pharmaceutical and biotech space. Since 2016 she has been the vice president and a partner of Bull City Blue, an end-to-end learning agency created to address the needs of training and talent development organizations within the life science industry.

Under Sue’s leadership, Bull City Blue has served a multitude of organizations to solve their complex learning and performance problems of local and global scale. Sue has helped learning leaders build strategic business plans for training teams, develop product launch learning processes and tools, create learning solutions for sales meetings, overhaul new hire learning pathways, and create training to meet count-less other business needs. Sue has worked with several Fortune 500 organizations in the life sciences including AbbVie, Biogen, Philips, Sanofi, Merck, and Celgene.

Prior to joining Bull City Blue, Sue served as the director of Inflammation & Immu-nology Commercial Training at Celgene and as vice president for the board of directors of the Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network (LTEN). Having worked for small, medium, and large biotech companies in her career, Sue has led the design and develop-ment of numerous learning initiatives—including more than 20 product launches. She has also led multiple performance-consulting initiatives designed to increase the effective-ness of the learning organizations in which she served.

Sue’s deep understanding of the life sciences training space informs the articles and workshops she’s crafted for both national entities such as ATD and the eLearning Guild, as well as industry-specific organizations like LTEN. Always interested in helping others succeed, Sue mentors life science learning leaders who are tackling challenging work-place problems and coaches aspiring learning leaders to identify knowledge, skills, and

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About the Authors

experiences to strengthen their career path. She also coaches CPLP candidates as they prepare for their certification.

Sue holds a bachelor of science in biology and is a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) since 2007—this unique combination makes her well suited to serve the learning needs of her life science clients.

Sue lives in New Jersey with her two children, Kyle and Sophia. You can find her leading Sophia’s Girl Scout troop activities and advocating for Kyle’s autism-related needs. Her penchant for baking delicious cookies and cakes combined with her love of fixing things around the house has earned her the nickname “Martha MacGyver” from her friends.

Connect with Sue on LinkedIn for insights and announcements at linkedin.com /in/sueiannone.

229

Index

Aaccidental instructional designer, 109, 110accountability, 76–77, 204–208ADKAR (awareness, desire, knowledge, ability,

reinforcement) model, 140, 208agile development, 73–74, 122–123, 132Allen, Michael, 101, 123assessing the situation, 24–26, 34, 45–46Assess the Situation for Microlearning

Worksheet, 45–46Assima, 148asynchronous learning, 22, 90audio files, 21Axonify, 106, 147

Bbanking services, 63–64, 124bank tellers, 124, 125barriers to microlearning, 75–78, 83Behavioral Engineering Model, 178best practices, 39–41boost learning, 68–69, 105, 106, 168. See also fol-

low-up to learning eventBrinkerhoff’s Success Case Method (SCM), 163–164Bull City Learning, 206business case, 49–52business needs, addressing with microlearning, 62–65business reports, as data source, 159

Ccall centers, 22champions, 37, 39coaching guide, 217coaching model, 17–18communication plan, 203, 214–216community, sourcing content from, 134–136compliance training, 23content

creating and selecting, 127–136distribution methods, 144–148

copyright, curation and, 130creating learning materials, 131–133crowdsourcing, 133–136curating resources, 130–131customer service, 22, 29, 34, 116, 124, 165, 171, 183–184cybersecurity, 146–147, 183–185

Ddata

collection methods, 158–159to support microlearning proposals/plans, 30types to measure, 155–158

designing a microlearning program, 86–117determining what to offer as micro content, 100–108expressing your vision, 110–111figuring out if/where microlearning fits, 90–98focusing on improving performance, 108–110focusing on learner, 88–91gaining momentum for, 202–204needs assessment, 90–91and performance needs, 87–88questions about learners, 114–116questions for focusing on performance need, 113resources for, 109situations where microlearning can be useful, 117tools for support, 113–117

designing content, 132–133desk jobs, working in the field vs., 114–115

Ee-learning modules, 13–15, 129email, for content distribution, 145employees, sharing message of success with, 199employment law training, 70enabling objectives, 124–125EPSS (electronic performance support system), 148,

154, 159, 160, 175evaluation of microlearning program. See measure-

ment and evaluation of microlearning effortsexecuting a plan, 120–149. See also MILE

(MIcroLEarning Design Model)Experience API (xAPI), 159–162e-zine, 102

Fface-to-face customer assistance, 116failure

determining causes of, 178next steps after, 201–202

fast food restaurant chains, 50–51feedback, 30, 103, 139field, working in, desk jobs vs., 114–115financial services. See banking services

230

Index

five moments of need, 99flipped classroom, 101follow-up to learning event, 9

boost learning, 105case study, 69checklist for, 117convincing learners to implement new skills, 103designing program for, 93–95extending learning beyond the classroom, 105improving with microlearning, 66measurement of results, 168, 170, 171micro content for, 103–106reminding learners to implement new skills, 103–104

forgetting curve, 67–68, 72

GGilbert, Thomas, 178Google Maps, 59, 70Gottfredson, Conrad, 71–72, 99, 174–175

Hhealthcare, 98, 114, 148, 166HR policies, 31–32

IImmunization Academy, 210implementing a plan, 120–149, 214–216. See also

MILE (MIcroLEarning Design Model)industry reports, 30infographics, 18–20, 26, 129instructional design. See designing a microlearning

program; MILE (MIcroLEarning Design Model)instructor-led training, 22–23intake form, 49Internet, 130, 133–134interviews, for qualitative data, 158–159IT departments, 32, 207

Jjargon, avoiding, 41Jordan, Michael, 201just-in-time learning, 13–14, 69, 79, 115, 160, 174. See

also performance support

KKerfoot, B. Price, 106Kim, Alice, 106Kirkpatrick Model, 162–163knowledge, performance vs., 123knowledge-level content, 101–103Kohn, Art, 106

LL&D (Learning and Development) teams, 134, 135leadership development programs, 20, 67leadership training, 17–18

learner motivation, 100–101learners

and accountability, 204–206focusing on, 88–91, 209–210needs assessment, 90–91sharing message of success with, 199typical workday, 88–90

learning ecosystem, 47–48learning experience platforms (LXPs), 127, 144–145learning management systems (LMSs), 144

and accountability, 76–77and content distribution, 126and e-learning modules, 14, 15and learning technology strategies, 33–35and technology constraints, 77

learning record store (LRS), 159learning team, accountability and, 207–208length of learning event, 10level-setting, 103life science learning professionals, 200Likert scale surveys, 158LMSs. See learning management systemsLRS (learning record store), 159LXPs (learning experience platforms), 127, 144–145

Mmanagers, 38, 39, 206–207marketers and marketing, 41, 137–138measurement and evaluation of microlearning

efforts, 152–189after unsuccessful program, 201applying measurement to microlearning, 167–175Brinkerhoff’s Success Case Method, 163–164case studies, 183–189data collection methods, 158–159determining what should be measured, 155keeping it simple, 153Kirkpatrick Model, 162–163larger microlearning programs, 178–179measurement job aid, 182measurement table, 181models for, 162–167Phillips’ ROI Methodology, 164–166qualitative measurement, 157–158quantitative measurement, 156–157types of data to measure, 155–158with xAPI, 159–162

medical centers, 166medical device companies, 183–185medical equipment sales/service, 34metrics

capturing, 210 (See also measurement and evalua-tion of microlearning efforts)

choosing, 154microlearning (generally)

assessing the situation, 24–26, 45–46barriers to use of, 75–78basics, 1–41

231

Index

building a plan for, 29–30business case example, 50–51considering policies/procedures, 31–36defined, 8–11e-learning modules, 13–15engaging the right people at the right time, 37–39formats for, 11–22, 43–44getting ready to start, 24–36HR and training policies, 31–32importance of, 1–2infographics, 18–20instructor-led training, 22–23intake form, 49limitations on applications of, 197and modern learners, 58–62myths/misconceptions, 78–80next steps, 194–217podcasts, 21–22potential power of, 80–81principles and best practices, 39–41quick guide, 208–210reasons to choose, 57–83reflecting on your current situation, 194–197talking to stakeholders, 27–29text-based resources, 11–13tools for support, 43–54uses for, 8, 9videos, 16–18

Microlearning Compatibility Assessment tool, 47–48MIcroLEarning Design model. See MILEMicrolearning Intake Form, 49microlearning pilot. See pilot programsmicrolearning program

coaching guide, 217designing (See designing a microlearning program)evaluation case study, 186–189measuring success of, 178–179

MILE (MIcroLEarning Design Model), 120–149as agile model, 122–123basics, 120–123job aid worksheet, 142–143rollout and communication considerations, 149step 1: identifying performance objectives, 123–126step 2: determining program technology and

structure, 126–127step 3: creating or selecting resources, 127–136step 4: implementing and promoting, 136–140step 5: monitor/modify/evaluate, 140, 152–189

(See also measurement and evaluation of microlearning efforts)

ways you can distribute content, 144–148Millennials, 80, 205Mobile Coach, 147mobile devices, 33–36, 59–60, 89, 115momentum, gaining, 202–204Mosher, Bob, 71–72, 99, 174–175motivation, learner, 100–101

Nneeds assessment, 90–91next steps, 194–217

after initial success, 197–198after unsuccessful program, 201–202developing accountability for all, 204–208future issues, 210–211gaining momentum to embed learning in your

design approach, 202–204pilot template, 213questions for exploring, 211–212quick microlearning guide, 208–210sharing message with stakeholders, 198–200

90–9–1 rule, 134, 135notification systems, 147

Oobjectives. See performance objectivesoffice technology sales, 73O’Grady, Garry, 206operational leaders, 199

Ppaper handouts, 145–146. See also text-based resourcesPDFs, 146perceived value of training, 40–41performance improvement

as focus of program design, 108–110inability to tie learning to, 78microlearning for, 65–73

performance needsand program design, 87–88questions for focusing on, 113

performance objectivesand content development strategies, 136identifying, 123–126

performance scorecards, 30performance support, 9, 70–73

case study, 73checklist for, 117designing program for, 96–100measurement of results, 174–176micro content for, 107–108mobile devices and, 59and workflow learning, 108

pharmaceutical companies, 15, 26, 102, 133–134Phillips’ ROI Methodology, 164–166Pienkowski, Nathan, 206pilot programs, 37, 74, 195, 202, 213plan, building a, 29–30plan of action (POA) meeting, 200podcasts, 21–22, 129policies and procedures, 31–36posters, 146–147preparation for learning event, 9

checklist for, 117designing program for, 90–93improving with microlearning, 66, 67

232

Index

measurement of results, 167–169micro content for, 100–103

prework, 66, 67, 93, 102–103promoting your content, 136–140

making content “sticky,” 137–138rollout and promotion plans, 139–140strategies for, 137

QQstream, 106, 147qualitative measurement, 155, 157–158quantitative measurement, 155–157quick wins, 39–40, 202

Rreinforcement of prior learning, 68–69. See also boost

learningresources for microlearning programs, 127–136

curating/creating/crowdsourcing, 129–136relative effort to develop each format, 128–129

restaurant chains, 50–51retail store chains, 17–18, 22, 147return on expectations (ROE), 175, 177return on investment (ROI) methodology, 164–166

Ssales associates, 147sales reps, 15, 26, 69, 102, 109–110, 114, 133–134SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) Model, 20SCM (Success Case Method), 163–164scorecards, 30SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference

Model), 159scrap learning, 72seat time, 10, 110, 111security constraints, 77senior leadership, sharing message of success with, 199service-repair training, 73shadowing, 114, 115Situation-Behavior-Impact (SBI) Model, 20smart phones. See mobile devicesSMEs (subject matter experts), 20, 110–111, 132social collaborative platforms, 133–136, 144, 159social connectedness, 60–61societal factors for adopting microlearning, 58–62software development companies, 12–13, 186–189software help systems, 148“sound bites,” 41, 52stakeholders

and accountability, 206–207asking permission to implement learning solutions, 29identifying, 39and pilot programs, 195and return on expectations, 177sharing message of success with, 198–200talking to, 27–29

stand-alone training, 9, 69–70

case study, 70checklist for, 117designing program for, 95–96evaluation case study, 183–185formal learning program evaluation case study,

183–185measurement of results, 170, 172–173micro content for, 107plan for creating a resource, 53situations calling for, 95–96

“sticky” content, 137–138subject matter experts. See SMEsSuccess Case Method (SCM), 163–164supervisors, accountability of, 207support unit leaders, 199surveys, 30, 158synchronous learning, 90

Ttargeted learning, 62–65technology. See also mobile devices

constraints as barrier to microlearning, 77for learning program, 126–127learning technology strategy, 32–36

terminal objective, 123, 124text-based resources, 11–13, 129, 145–146textile manufacturing, 1633Cs (curate, create, and crowdsource) model, 129–136time

and crowdsourcing of content, 134and employees’ consumption of microlearning, 79fitting microlearning into employees’ days, 77–78and power of microlearning, 81scarcity of, 61–62

Torrance, Megan, 123training policies, 31–32training team, 38–39

Vvalue of training, 40–41videos, 16–18

cost to develop, 129length of, 160–161

virtual instructor-led training (VILT), 22–23, 63vision, 39, 110–111vulnerability disclosure statement, 183

WWalkMe, 148webinars, 23websites, for content delivery, 148what’s in it for me (WIIFM), 92, 100–101wind turbine technicians, 89workflow learning, 108

XxAPI (Experience API; Tin Can), 159–162